La Vite – Unjung/West Pangyo

The first thing you’ll notice about La Vite is how popular it is with the neighborhood. I’ve never been in or walked by without seeing the dining room filled with groups of laughing women enjoying pasta and salads. It seems to be a major wife and mom lunch hangout, and with good reason – the food’s delicious and the atmosphere is friendly and comfortable.

Every meal begins with some of the house made bread with balsamic and olive oil.

The steak salad was fantastic. The beef and veggies were marinated and cooked perfectly – every scrap was devoured. The mushrooms were particularly good, and the salad was a nice mix of sweet chard and cheese. I would definitely have this dish again.

The citronade I ordered had candied shreds of orange peel garnish – though I’m not used to eating orange peel, I will say the little pieces of rind were pleasantly tender and sweet. It was an interesting and delicious drink. I imagine it would be even better in the summer heat.

Eric’s set came with a side salad and Americano. The dressing was citris with balsamic drizzle and the greens were made up of the same sweet chard. The coffee was pretty good – each cup was made in the single serving drip style.

The other half of the set was the mushroom risotto with several kinds of mushroom and scattered green beans. It was super rich and filling. The risotto itself was cooked well and provided a nice texture, and the collection of mushrooms were delicious.

On a previous visit, we had the margherita pizza and the apple,walnut, cranberry and Camembert cheese salad. The half moon of “naan” served with the salad was very good, and the fruit and cheese were a tasty combination. The margherita was pretty decent, but I’d recommend trying one of La Vite’s amazing salads or delicious risottos on a first visit.

La Vite is a comfortable place to grab lunch or a quaint little spot to have a dinner date. Their ingredients are fresh, their dishes cooked well, and their wait staff very helpful and pleasant. It’s a great neighborhood find.

UPDATE 1/12/15: We tried another of La Vite’s pizzas tonight and we were totally impressed. The cinnamon apple cranberry pizza is both unique and delicious.

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Inbread – Unjung/West Pangyo

If the adorable overly baguette-laden bicycle isn’t enough to bring you in, the smell you encounter as you walk through the doors of Inbread will make your stomach growl.

If, like me, you’re addicted to carbohydrates and always looking for another bread fix, I know you’ll appreciate this small bakery. In addition to baguettes and ciabatta, the friendly baker makes scones, fig wheat bread, cinnamon raisin toast, and various focaccias and other goodies. Stop in if you need a loaf to go with dinner – most baked goods are priced between 1,500 – 4,500 Won.

Chosim Han-U 초심한유 – Unjung/West Pangyo

I’ll start by making a bold claim – this place has the best quality beef I’ve had in any traditional Korean restaurant.

If you’ve ever had Korean BBQ, the method of cooking may be simple and familiar and the sides pretty standard. All the salads and peppers and tofu were good, but the beef is the single best reason to try this place. The quality of the marbled, delicious slab that Eric picked was awesome and the barbecued bites nestled in pieces of grilled onion or mushroom were unbelievably tasty.

Before you sit down to start barbecuing, you choose your piece of beef from the cooler at the front of the store. The choices are mouthwatering – I really hadn’t seen steaks look this good since I arrived in Korea. Throughout the restaurant are signs describing the fact that the quality of the meat is the most important aspect of their offerings. Chosim Han-U uses local Korean cattle famous for its preferred taste and texture. It’s even considered a “cultural icon” by many Koreans.

If you’re in the mood for traditional Korean barbecue and want beef of premium quality, give Chosim Han-U a shot. The owner is very helpful and willing to jump in at any point you need assistance picking out your supper or grilling your goodies.

Bread N Drip – Unjung/West Pangyo

In a neighborhood where you can’t swing a cat without hitting a coffee shop, it takes something special to stand out. At Bread N Drip, they do so through their bread and baked goods.

Bread N Drip offers lunch and brunch sets complete with Americano and salads for around 10,000 Won. We chose the Caprese Panini and the Cranberry Chicken Sandwich. The bread was freshly baked, the cheese and veggies delicious. The Caprese had a spicy tomato sauce that really set it apart and the chicken was dressed with a homemade chutney that was sweet and went well with the mustard and cranberries. The salads were made from dark greens and chard and dressed with a simplistic balsamic.

The coffee shop is decorated simply with plenty of window seats for people-watching. The island near the counter displays cookies, muffins, and loaves and loaves of plain and flavored ciabatta, fresh from the oven.

One unique feature of this shop is the way they make their fare – there’s no butter, milk, or eggs in many of their baked goods. The cookie we had was made with no butter, egg or milk, and while not the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever had, it was perhaps the best vegan one I’ve tasted.

Bread N Drip is a terrific place for lunch and a comfortable spot to snack on some sweets and sip a coffee. The ladies who run the place are wonderful and often come around to share free samples of whatever delicious goody is coming out of the oven at the time.

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